NTPC shifts power project to MP's Bundelkhand

Uttar Pradesh seems to have lost the opportunity of having a 4,000-MW ultra mega power project, which the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) had proposed to install in the Bundelkhand region with Rs 24,000 crore investments.

The NTPC is still considering setting up the same project in the Bundelkhand region-not in UP but in Madhya Pradesh. Upset over UP not giving a commitment for making land and water for the proposed project available to it, the NTPC is now planning installing the plant in MP, which has agreed to make land and water available for the project.

"We may set up the plant at Barethi in Mahiyar district in the Bundelkhand region of MP which is ready to provide land and water to us," said NTPC' Regional Executive Director, IB Pandey while replying to a question at a press conference here. He said NTPC wanted to set up the project at Bargarh in UP's Bundelkhand region but the state he said was not willing make land and water available for the project. "Not only this UP wants to buy 100 pc of power to be produced by the project but under rules not more than 50 of power can be supplied to the state where a plant is situated", added he.

Replying to the related question, Pandey said "we are still open and can consider setting UP the projects both in UP and MP if the former makes land available to us."

NTPC had earlier proposed to set up a 4000-MW thermal plant in Lalitpur district on an initiative of Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh who wanted it to install a plant in the Budelkhand region. But the state wanted the NTPC to set up the plant in a joint venture with the UPPCL. "Rules do not permit us to invest in a joint venture beyond a certain limit so we insisted on doing it independently to which UP did no agree and asked us explore the possibility of setting up the plant independently at Bargarh," Pandey said. In response to another question, Pandey said the UP had a share of around 3400 MW of power in the NTPC's plants located in the state. "We supply the entire share to UP and the allegations that UP get less than its quota is baseless," he claimed.

Pandey said the NTPC had an ambitious plan to double its power generating capacity in the Northern Region by the end of 12th Five-Year Plan. The corporation at present has 5,490 MW installed capacity at power stations located at four different places-Singrauli, Rihand, Unhahar and Tanda, in the state. "We have planned adding around as much capacity during the 12th Plan," Pandey said.